Called to Serve: Everything is going to be okay because they have PANERA BREAD in Colorado!!!!

Everything is going to be okay because they have PANERA BREAD in Colorado!!!!

Another reason why I am so in love with Colorado. It's really a great place. Me and my companion have both decided we would love to move back here with our families one day.

So this week was an interesting one. It seems like every hopeful person we had to teach decided they don't need the gospel. Our one solid investigator has been avoiding us for the past week or two and he called us the other day to tell us he does not want to be taught ever again. If only he knew what he just turned down!!! But that gave us the determination to work even harder to help people understand and become converted in this gospel. Our spaceship man has moved so we won't be meeting with him anymore either.

So we've had more time to tract which is scary... but great practice for me. We accidentally tracked into a less active woman yesterday who has been very against the church! But she let us in for a few minutes because it was so cold outside. That was one moment that I was thanking the Lord for this freezing weather. We also had some nice conversations with others in the neighborhood and plan to come back and visit them this weekend. Even though we had a discouraging week, we got back out there and worked harder to find those who are prepared. "Whatever the world throws at them, they throw back a smile, because they know they have the gospel of Jesus Christ." This is exactly how me and my companion felt this week. We could have easily been down in the dumps but we smiled and laughed as we tracked and planned how to become better missionaries.

So I did chores on a farm this week! That was actually incredibly fun. I pet the horses, chased a rabbit, fed some baby goats, and gathered eggs from the chickens. It made me want to live on a farm! But then I realized it was probably only fun for one day. We did get to take home a dozen eggs though! It was great. Service is one of my favorite things out here on the mission. It's so nice to help others out and see the joy it brings them as well as the joy we feel ourselves. This lady on the farm recently had brain surgery and has a hard time doing these chores by herself. Usually her kids help but they weren't home this night! it was a great opportunity and I had a blast doing it.

There is a lady in our ward who teaches continuing education for women, so we went to her class this week and it was AWESOME. She talked about the gift of adversity and how it truly is a gift. There is so much to learn and so much to gain from adversity. When you step back and look at the experience, it's a gift that you were able to learn and grow the way you did. I've thought a lot about adversity and trials as I am adjusting to missionary life. One of my favorite quotes is, "There is no comfort in the growth zone, and no growth in the comfort zone." How true is that!? We will never grow if we remain in our comfort zone doing the things we have been doing our whole lives. Once we get outta our comfort zone and do things that stretch us, we will grow. We have shared this message with many of our ward members because we can tell that everyone has very heavy trials on their backs. It seems like these last days can sometimes get the best of us. But with the atonement and the truth of the gospel, we can survive. And not only will we survive, but we will be better than we were before.

The mission is great and I am loving every single moment!!!!!!!!! I am blessed to be here.

Sister Hoer